To Catch a Cook

Grilled Goat Cheese Panini

I made these lovely little sandwiches for lunch today.  Didn’t follow  a recipe, but it all came together pretty intuitively.  I sauteed some green onions in olive oil and then folded the warm onions into some goat cheese.  I spread the goat cheese on bread that I’d buttered on the outside, and then added some strips of roasted red pepper.  I used a grill pan to toast the sandwiches and then added arugula before slicing diagonally and serving with green olives.

Green Soup

It’s been more than a year since I last made this soup, so I figured it was overdue.  One tip: this is not one of those soups that gets better the longer it’s cooked.  I ended up letting it go a little too long this time and it ended up more “boiled green” than “bright green”.  Still tasted fine, but next time I’ll make sure to add the greens late and not overcook.

Beet and Fennel Soup

There’s nothing like hot soup for lunch on a cold winter Sunday.  My husband loves beets, so I knew this would be a hit.  I didn’t have buttermilk, so I just substituted a little regular milk and fresh squeezed lemon.  Finishing garnish is some creme fraiche and fennel.

Quinoa Soup and Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche

Lunch today was inspired by our recent trip to Peru, where both ceviche and quinoa were in ample supply.  You can see the quinoa soup recipe I used in the link above.  For the ceviche, I improvised based on a recipe in the “Hot and Hot Fish Club” cookbook (love this cookbook!).  The basic idea is to marinate the scallops in a mix of 3:1 orange juice and lemon juice, along with some citrus zest (I used lemon peel and kumquats), cilantro, onion, jalapeno and salt.  Strain into chilled martini glasses and sit down to vacation on a plate.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pickled Peppers

Here’s a great idea for something to do with the homemade pickled peppers I whipped up yesterday (scroll back on my blog for that recipe). These sandwiches were super easy to throw together. I buttered the outside of the bread, set a slice on my grill pan, added the pickled peppers, grated aged cheddar, and a few sprigs of watercress. You put the top slice on and grill until both sides are golden. Delish!